The Connecticut Defenders were a Minor League Baseball team based in Norwich, Connecticut. The team, which played in the Eastern League, was the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major-league club from 2003 until following the 2009 season, when the Defenders relocated to Richmond, Virginia and are now known as the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
The Defenders played in Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium, located in Norwich; opened in 1995, it seats 6,275 fans. The Defenders had been known as the Norwich Navigators from 1995 until October 2005. Prior to the 2003 season, the Navigators had been an affiliate of the New York Yankees.
The Defenders were last managed by Steve Decker, who was announced as the team's new skipper on December 28, 2008.
The Defenders were scheduled to host the Eastern League All-Star Game at Dodd Stadium on July 11, 2007, but the game was ultimately canceled due to fog. The fan activities and home run derby went on as scheduled, with over 6500 fans attending events throughout the day.
Read more about Connecticut Defenders: History, Alumni, Season Records, Playoffs
Famous quotes containing the word defenders:
“The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)